We were fortunate to catch up with some brilliant artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from throughout the Houston area and they share the wisdom with us below.

Bright Ideas

I attribute my success to hard work, consistency, and friends. I started Bright Ideas in 2020 as a “pandemic project”, and honestly I never thought I’d be doing what I am now. I’ve been making music for over 20 years, but it took me a good year of practicing how to mix and master this genre before I felt comfortable enough to share my tracks. It all started to snowball once I got past that and started releasing music consistently. Staying consistent helped me get over the self-conscious feeling of putting myself out there, and I found you automatically start to get better and learn what works when you do it repeatedly. Read more>>

Rosangelie Leon Pereira | Lash Artist & Lash Instructor

My favorite quote is a bible verse actually, Matthew 7:7 “Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” As an entrepreneur this verse reminds me to keep going. When you program your mind to tell yourself daily that giving up is not an option great things are birthed. Success comes with trail and error and if we stop at the first door that did not open we miss the opportunity to come across three more doors that can and will lead to more open doors. With faith in God all things are possible. Read more>>

Amy Reyes | La Sonorense Food Truck Owner

I was born and raised in the heart of California. As you may know, California is all about Mexican food. I started to cook birria a very long time ago, then suddenly there was a trend of quesatacos. I started to make them and it became it hit. Once I moved to Texas, I decided to open up a birria specialty food truck. Read more>>

Juan Granados | Auto Specialist

Defining success is a crucial process that requires discipline and self-awareness. It involves understanding your core values, ambitions, and aspirations, and using this knowledge to set specific, achievable goals for yourself. What success means to you, you can gain clarity on the areas of your life that hold the most significance. This clarity enables you to allocate your resources, including time, energy, and attention, to the pursuits that align with your personal definition of success. It also helps you avoid being pulled in different directions by external influences or societal expectations. Read more>>

Kawaii Roberts | Professional Photographer

The most important thing I have done as a parent was to make the choice to homeschool my child while running my photographer business full time. It shows my child that she can do anything in this world that she wants to do as long as she seeks God’s kingdom first. Read more>>

Rachel Lyons | Owner of Lyons Brew Coffee

Risk taking is an absolute necessity when it comes to being an entrepreneur. In the world of a business owner you have to be willing to step out on your fears. Take the risk is absolutely terrifying, but I believe betting on yourself is the most rewarding feeling in the world. Read more>>

2mrrw

To me taking a “risk” plays a vital role in achieving goals that seem extremely difficult. Risks and passion go hand in hand. When you are passionate about a goal or mission the risk are there as a follow up to hold you true to that passion. Anybody that has been successful, has had to take a risk or risks, and honestly whether you stay still and complacent, or if you have ambition to conquer goals, there are risk associated with both. When being complacent, You run the risk of never maxing out your potential, the risk of regret, the risk of wasting time, the risk of not living in your purpose. Read more>>

Mariah Sade | Fashion Model, Spiritualist, Beauty Guru, Model

I aspire to be more than just an entertainer; I want to embody a figure whom people can truly admire and look up to in every aspect of life—spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. My goal is to leave a legacy that transcends time and resonates universally. I envision my impact as a powerful, everlasting light that inspires positivity and greatness in everyone who encounters it. Whether through my performances, my words, or my actions, I aim to uplift and empower others, leaving behind a legacy that is not just remembered, but cherished as a beacon of hope and inspiration for generations to come. Read more>>

Sharaya Bell | Owner & Lead Planner of Beauty Marked Events

The most important factor behind my success is that my couples feel LOVED and heard. Everything goes back to my relationship with Jesus. It provides a foundation that shapes my actions, and strengthens my commitment to bringing people together in fellowship and celebration. I am authentically myself with all of my couples and they can feel that. Each relationship is unique, and so I do everything I can to get to know them as a couple to make their day an expression of them. This, in return, gives my clients the assurance they need to trust me with their special day so they can relax! Read more>>

Charissa Menken | Photographer

The idea that having a large following on instagram or social media will dictate the success of your business. I think that a lot of success can come from meeting the right people at the right time – networking. Of course a following can help, but more importantly staying engaged with your community and pouring into your education are all more important than having a large following. Read more>>

Dr. Jake Herring | Pediatric and Prenatal Chiropracto

Going to a chiropractor just for back pain is like buying an iPhone just to use the calculator app. There are so many other benefits that people don’t know about! My office is primarily pediatric and most of the patients I see aren’t in pain, but are coming in to optimize their nervous system health, which helps them not only feel better, but function better too. When the nervous system is working better, all systems of the body work better and we can begin to heal, leading to changes in sleep, digestion, stress, etc. just to name a few. Read more>>

Anne House | Vocalist & Livecaster

While I’ve sung all my life, up til now, my career has not been a truly creative one. I was offered a buyout from my company just before covid. At the time, I’d been with them about 16 years and I thought I would regret it if I didn’t try singing. So, I crunched the numbers and came up with a way to make it work. Ultimately, I wasn’t able to exercise the right (I was considered essential personnel) but I still wanted to pursue music. Then Covid hit. I plugged along, singing and trying to learn about the business. We even tried to make a TV show out of it for the local music community in our area! Read more>> 

Austin Roberson | Menswear Expert

I am by far the biggest risk taker in my family. It’s something that I’m proud of. I’m not scared of risk, nor do I not consider the cost of things if it doesn’t go in my favor. I’m willing to lose big in order to win big. I’m no gambler on the slot machines in Vegas, but I am who I am because of the risks I’ve taken in my life. I moved to a new city after I graduated college with no base up here save for a small handful of friends. I moved to Fort Worth because it’s a beautiful and wonderful city that offered what I was wanting. I had to take it. I had to make that jump that I was scared to make. Scared to leave my friend group and everything that was familiar to me. Read more>>

Jahmaria Tavie | Small business owner

It’s been plenty of times I wanted to give up , but I always ask myself would my Grandmother give up , then I remind myself “ God Gives his toughest Battles to his strongest soldiers “ So giving up will never be a option for me Read more>>

JC Jones | Artist, Entrepreneur & Community Activist

At House of Jones, we believe in transforming experiences and empowering communities. Our commitment is evident in every service we offer, ensuring that when you visit, you leave with more than just what you came for. Whether you’re here for a photoshoot, renting our content rooms, attending an event, or simply getting a hair appointment, House of Jones stands as a beacon of luxury and inclusivity. Read more>>

Srisindhu Medukonduru | Founder and President

Many children coming from underserved backgrounds normally do not lead careers pertaining to STEM and essentially, they become a minority group in these fields due to their lack of proper resources and lesser quality education facilities. Our team wants to deal with this issue by inspiring an interest in STEM and learning for these children of lower socioeconomic status in our own creative ways to help them make their education a priority, despite their circumstances. Read more>>